A Canadian sniper team from the 3RCR Battle Group ascend to an overwatch position in Afghan mountains west of Kabul during a 2002 NATO reconnaissance operation. (STEPHEN J. THORNE)

Canada, NATO and the vociferous protests of American senators

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

Canada’s military is facing shortcomings nearing crisis proportions, of that there is no doubt. But should Canadians get their knickers in a knot over Ottawa’s failure to meet NATO’s arbitrary military spending benchmark of two per cent of gross domestic product?

Perhaps not.

At 1.33 per cent of GDP, Canada’s defence spending is well below NATO’s expectations, placing it 27th among the alliance’s 32 members—only 11 of whom met the two per cent threshold in 2023. In terms of actual dollar amount spent on its military, Canada—a founding member of the alliance—ranks seventh.

READ MORE

More from Front Lines

• First female defence chief faces daunting challenges
• Leaders condemn latest Russian missile attacks on Ukraine
• Close shaves on land and sea: Wayne Arnold’s war

Charles Perry Stacey. (WIKIMEDIA)

A Canadian chronicler: The life and legacy of C.P. Stacey

STORY BY ALEX BOWERS

On July 30, 1906, a Canadian storyteller’s story began.

Born and raised in Toronto, Charles Perry Stacey—better known as C.P. Stacey—showcased a passion for history from an early age. It was destined to be the same passion he would carry forth into his later professional life.

Between 1933 and 1940, Stacey, an academic working at Princeton University, put pen to paper. The resulting publications would garner considerable unanticipated attention.

READ MORE

More from Military Milestones

• The second Halifax explosion
• Remembering David Currie, V.C.
• SS Jasper Park sunk: A Canadian Merchant Navy tale

Member Benefit Partner

Learn more

Major-General Jennie Carignan, NATO Mission Iraq commander, and British Major-General Gerald Strickland, a deputy commander with Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, consult with quick reaction force troops at Camp Taji, Iraq, on Feb. 7, 2020. (SPC. CAROLINE SCHOFER/U.S. ARMY)

First female defence chief faces daunting challenges

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

Lieutenant-General Jennie Carignan, a 35-year military veteran who headed the forces’ topical professional conduct and culture directorate, has been named the first woman to serve as Canada’s chief of the defence staff.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement July 3, congratulating Carignan and saying “her exceptional leadership qualities, commitment to excellence, and dedication to service have been a tremendous asset” to the forces.

“I am confident that, as Canada’s new Chief of the Defence Staff, she will help Canada be stronger, more secure, and ready to tackle global security challenges.”

READ MORE

More from Front Lines

• Leaders condemn latest Russian missile attacks on Ukraine
• Close shaves on land and sea: Wayne Arnold’s war
• Allied bombing of Europe’s villages and towns leaves complicated legacy

Blast cloud from Bedford Magazine Explosion.(WIKIMEDIA)

The second Halifax explosion

STORY BY ALEX BOWERS

The date wasn’t Dec. 6, 1917, but rather July 18, 1945.

The location broadly remained the same, although the circumstances were markedly different. Nevertheless, a degree of hubris could be attributed to both.

Back on that cold and unforgiving winter day, with the First World War having reached a fiery crescendo overseas, two vessels collided in Halifax Harbour. One, a heavily laden munitions ship, became the epicentre for the largest humanmade explosion before the atomic bomb detonations in Japan.

READ MORE

More from Military Milestones

• Remembering David Currie, V.C.
• SS Jasper Park sunk: A Canadian Merchant Navy tale
• Remembering the Forgotten War: The Korean conflict in Canada’s collective consciousness

Member Benefit Partner

Learn more